Compared to the first quarter of 2023, the German sawmill industry’s sales fell short by almost 14%, according to figures published by Destatis, and the comparison with the exceptionally strong first quarter of 2022 shows a decrease of as many as 33%.
The slight increase compared to the first quarter of 2025 was mainly driven by the month of February: At €524 million, sales were 5.7% higher than in February 2025. March was the strongest month of the quarter, with sales of €567 million, but remained well below long-term levels. In March 2023, the industry had still generated €658 million in sales.
